The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
At the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
- Chapter 75 -
On the proper viewing of nature.
But I said: "For that we still have an hour time, and it is quite pleasant to be on this hill and to watch how the thoughts of God embody themselves before our eyes."
2
Said the innkeeper: "Lord, how is this to be understood?"
3
Said I: "All around us what you see with your eyes, hear with your ears and perceive with your senses, are all embodied thoughts of God. You see the mighty movement of the waves. Who drives the waters so high and doesn't allow it to come to rest? See, this is God's thought, animated through His will! Look at the many birds who play with the waves! What are they else than embodied thoughts of God?! The whole sea, all the mountains, all the animals, all grass, herbs and trees, all the people, the sun, the moon and all the countless many stars are nothing else. There being solely depends on the for you still incomprehensible permanence of the will of God.
4
I postulate the possible case, which can be explained quite well by the most endless freedom of the divine will, that God would withdraw His will from one of these embodied thoughts before us, and the embodiment would cease to exist in the same moment. The spiritual thought in God would still exist, but the body would so to speak dissolve into pure nothingness. But here we have for the true friend of God the highly important existence, being, becoming and also perishing of the thoughts of God! Isn't it truly a delight to watch this and day by day learn from it more closely the love, wisdom and almightiness of Jehovah?!
5
See there in the east the little clouds how they get bigger and then become small again and soon disappear altogether! These are also thoughts of God which are only very softly pulled together from the air by the will and in passing briefly take on an embodiment, and presented to us in continues changing forms. These forms are obviously closer to the original spiritual elements than the solid mountains and all the other forms which surround us to all sides; but their existence is nevertheless more imperfect and they first must by a repeated appearance change into another form, like for example a drop of rain, and then as nutrient in one or other plant take on a more decisive and permanent shape, and this continues up to humans, where they become totally free and independent and self freely thinking and free willing beings forever unchangeable and durable, and where they can and also will go over to the pure spiritual and God resembling.
6
See, who looks at the creatures of God in this manner, finds a lot of joy and happiness in it! And I say it to you, that such an observation is more strengthening to man than a too early taken morning meal. - Don't you think so too?"
7
Said the innkeeper: "O yes, Lord and Master! But for such animating observation also Your wisdom is required; I could observe for a century and would still not have recognized what You just revealed to us! From now on it will become better with me; since I am a friend of nature and find a lot of pleasure in its shapes and forms. Only when so now and then it gets out of control, I stay away from it. If great storms are coming and the clouds threaten us with lightening and thunder, my nature friendliness comes to an end; but nature in its quiet workings and being I love a great deal. Despite this sea storm not being a quiet activity of nature, it is not really dangerous to us land dwellers and therefore can be looked at with a peaceful mind; but if an immense hurricane would stir up the sea to such movement, it would not be too cosy sitting here and watch the actions of nature and to recognize the great thoughts of God, animated by His will."
8
Said I: "This is surely the case; but what I have told you now is not a command but only good advice, - since otherwise man had to climb down to the depth of the sea and also there observe in all directions the embodiment of the great thoughts of God. However, where man can do it without danger and harm to his life, he should do so from time to time and he will find it quite useful for soul and body and also more and more awaken in himself the spirit of true love for God and also for his neighbour.
9
Since to really love God, one must try to understand God more and more. Who does not make this his primary objective, in the end must ascribe it to himself, when with him the inner feeling and consciousness about the everlasting life of the soul after the death of the body is only very weak and stays weak; for this true feeling of life is the very result of the true, living love for God and therefrom for the fellow-men.
10
God in Himself as Father is in His primordial being love and thereby life itself, because this love and life are one and the same. Who thus has the love for God in himself, which is the only element of life, also has the true, divine, everlasting life in him. But who does not have such love, is dead in himself; his life is only a seeming life and therefore remains in judgement for as long until he not voluntarily has awaken and by his own actions enlivened the love for God. And see, it is therefore good for a true person, if he from time to time conducts such observations, of what presents itself to his senses for observation! - Do you now understand what I have told you?"
11
Said the innkeeper: "Yes, Lord and Master, now also this is clear to me; it is just to be deplored in this world that most people do not have any knowledge about such most important teachings of life! But I will not lack the right zeal, to at least what I know, teach the receptive person at any good opportunities. But what might be the main cause for the people in this time becoming so dreadfully pointless?"